It's not long from the time I arrive before we’re in our room. That’s when I notice Noah's nerves. Last time we were in the hospital, he was being treated, and he let me take care of him. We found love in a hospital, and there are good and bad memories he's thinking of right now.
"A lot of memories, huh?"
His eyes snap to mine, but he nods, knowing better than to lie to me or try to deny it. "Not all bad. I fell in love with you in the hospital." Finally, a smile crosses his face.
A knock on the door grabs our attention, and in walks my brother, Becky, and my parents. They all come over and give me a hug and a kiss before hugging Noah.
Becky brought another bag for me. Earlier, she told me she was putting together a care package for me with all the things she wished she’d had during her labor.
The next few hours are spent talking and laughing. Noah takes me for a few walks up and down the hallway, and he's great at rubbing my lower back.
"Are you certain you don't want any medication, Angel?" he asks after a particularly hard contraction.
He’d rather I’m not in pain, but I want to do this naturally. So no epidural or pain medication. He'll do whatever I want, but to get that concession, I agreed to give birth in a hospital for his peace of mind.
As the contractions increase, my brother and my dad decide to leave and sit it out in the waiting room.
I couldn't have asked for a better person at my side than Noah. Throughout the birth process, he’s the best coach and an incredible support to me. Before I know it, our little one is here, and this beautiful, slimy baby is placed on my chest. There are tears in my husband's eyes and in mine too.
We were told there was a strong possibility Noah might never be able to have kids. By the time I met Noah, I’d given up on the idea of having kids after my first husband was killed in action. So this is a milestone for us.
Right now, he's busy snapping photos because I’m certainly not remembering to do it.
"You have a son."
“Yes, I know,” Noah says as a tear falls from his eye.
Finally, the nurses get our son all cleaned up and wrapped in a blanket before handing him back to me. When I give him to Noah, the look of pure wonder and amazement on his face tells me everything I need to know. He's going to be the most amazing father.
"All right. You've kept us in suspense long enough. What is his name?" my mom asks.
We refused to tell them what names we’d picked out, saying they would find out when the little one was born. While I know it drove my mom crazy, she respected my wishes.
"Last chance to change your mind. You still set on the name?" I ask, looking up at Noah, who has a huge smile on his face.
"No changes, Angel."
It's then the name we’ve chosen for our son hits me. We talked at length about names and the people we wanted to honor, and the first one out of Noah’s mouth was Tyler. My husband, Tyler, was killed in action, and we swear he brought us together. He's also the reason Oakside exists. Without him, we wouldn't have the property to build it.
Noah also wanted to honor my brother because it was while he was saving his life that he was injured, which led to him meeting me. So we played around with the names Tyler and Jonathan. Even though everyone calls my brother Johnny, we wanted to limit the confusion as much as possible.
As I’m about to launch into our son’s middle name, my dad and brother walk in. Perfect timing.
"They’re about to tell us what they’ve named him," Mom says as Noah walks over to them to show off the baby.
"We wanted to honor two people in our lives without whom we wouldn't be together today. We’re both very much in agreement with this name. Our son will be called J.T., otherwise known as Jonathan Tyler Carr," Noah finishes with a beaming smile.
My brother’s eyes jerk toward him, and every person in the room is watching for my brother's reaction.
"Are you serious?" My brother looks between Noah and me and then down at the baby.
"Completely serious. You may not realize it, but if it weren't for you, Lexi and I would never have met, and Lexi says you were the one person who helped her through after Tyler died."
I think my parents knew the name Tyler would be included if it were a boy. Noah tells everyone he's sure Tyler brought us together, and if it weren't for Tyler, there would be no Oakside. So it was a given he'd be included in our lives in one way or another.
Noah hands over our son to my brother, who now has tears running down his face. When he looks down at the baby in his arms, every camera in the room goes off. My brother is a great dad to his kid, and he'll be a great uncle, too.
When he looks back at Noah, he pulls him in for a one-armed hug, and they exchange a few words.
Later this week, once we get home from the hospital, Noah’s parents will be here to spend some time with their grandson. Then our little family will be complete.